A New Happiness
by Skate95
Summary: (AU) Happiness was something they hadn't felt in a long time. It was a foreign word that had lost much of it's meaning. All they knew of was sadness and grief. Abuse and death. As their worlds collide, they see a bit of that long lost happiness inside of each other. With newfound friends comes newfound joy. Sometimes fate isn't as terrible as you think.
1. The Darkness that Surrounds Us

**A/N: Here I am again, starting yet another new HopexLight fic. I just have soooo many ideas and I need a story to write in my off time from A Sealed Fate. I figured I'd post one chapter of each story, prioritize by response, and go from there. So let me know if you like :)**

** Disclaimer: I do not own Final Fantasy or Square Enix.**

A cool breeze graced Lightning's pale features as she stepped out from her home. Her lips quirked up slightly at the fact that the mugginess of summer was finally being stamped out by the coming autumn. Summer was another thing on that long list of things Lightning hated. It was hot, made her sweaty and uncomfortable, and brought all the sunshiny, happy, and all too friendly people out more than usual. It was also the fact that this season was forever marked as a sickening and mournful one that would bring her nothing but grief. For it was just one year and eight days ago, on a day filled with heavy summer heat, that she had lost the most precious thing in her life.

"Serah..." Her name fell from her lips in a soft whisper as her body trembled at the memory. The young woman felt her chest tighten and tears begin to form, but she pushed it all back. _No, I will not do this today. _It had been weeks since Lightning had left her house. Everyday had just been a painful reminder of what she'd lost. The last time she'd tried to leave, she'd almost had a mental breakdown in the middle of the store. So most days, since Serah's passing, she'd just lied around her home in her own broken state. Billions of reminders surrounded her, from Serah's empty room to the pink lip gloss that sat in the same place her sister had left it, all whispering and screaming of Serah's absence. Yet if she left everything as it was, all of the signs that Serah once lived there, Lightning could imagine, even for just a moment, that her sister still existed in her world and could just come walking back in the door, a warm smile on her face accompanied by a giggle.

She had decided that today would be different. She needed to pick herself up and find a way to at least live, as Snow had been reminding her lately. The hulk of a man was usually who helped Lightning out, delivering groceries, getting her mail, cooking her dinner, and even just checking in on her. At first she had been loath to accept Snow's assistance. She never liked the man and couldn't stand the thought of needing help. So the first few nights he'd come to give her a hand, she'd slammed the door in his face. But after the initial misery of her sister's death had subsided, and Snow had asked her to let him help her, for he felt he owed it to Serah and needed to be able to focus his energy on something productive, Lightning had reluctantly allowed it. In the end, to her dismay, the company was nice every once in a while.

It was now eight at night in the town of Bodhum and the last rays of sunshine were retreating from the sky. Lightning cringed at the high pitched screams and squeals that she could hear from the beach dwellers not too far away. Pulling her hood up over her head, she began walking down the sidewalk, hoping to avoid any conversation with her fellow townspeople and the irritating tourists.

She walked with no real destination. There was no place she needed to be and no place that she wanted to go. This trip into the real world was just a nice change of pace and the refreshing cool air felt wonderful on her skin. Attempting to avoid any eye contact, Lightning took in her surroundings of her gorgeous seaside town. She had missed being outside and seeing the lovely town she'd lived in all her life. Missing Serah had just made it impossible to get out of bed most days. Lightning's loss and grief seemed to paralyze her, even though it had been over a year. So going out into town had become a feat she couldn't accomplish most of the time until today, when she'd dragged her sorry ass up and told herself she was going to quit depending on Snow.

Stopping and taking in a large breath, the pinkette decided to do something she hadn't done since the day they'd buried her baby sister. Visit her grave. She decided that that would be her goal for today.

Kneeling before the headstone with Serah's name so perfectly etched into it, Lightning couldn't stop the stream of tears that fell silently down her cheeks. It was times like this that the young woman realized how truly weak she'd become. When the task of simply holding back her emotions had become so unbearably hard. She didn't stay long, for her heart couldn't take the fact that she was technically sitting atop her sister's dead corpse packed under pounds of dirt. It was a sickening thought that had her leaving the second it entered her mind. It was then that she realized the time, almost ten.

As she picked herself up, she heard quiet sobbing. As she walked around her sister's grave and continued forward a few feet, peaking around a tall bush, Lightning found she wasn't alone. A young boy of maybe sixteen or seventeen knelt before a headstone, weeping quietly with his forehead brushing against the smooth surface. His shiny silver hair was illuminated in the night giving him an almost angelic appearance.

"I'm so, so sorry." The young man sniffed a bit as he choked slightly on his words. Before he carried on he wiped his face with his long sleeve, shoulders quaking a little with a shaky resolve. "I should have been there with you. At least then you wouldn't have been so alone." A hollow chuckle escaped from him. "And I wouldn't be so alone now"

Lightning left, not wishing to hear any more from the poor kid. She had enough horrible grief of her own to deal with. Finding it to be late and there to be nowhere for her to really go, she headed home. Her bed sounded like a good idea right about now.

Slipping in her key, her mental alarms immediately went off. Her front door which she always made sure to lock before going anywhere, even to just get the mail, was unlocked. Lightning took a second to think. Maybe she forgot. It had been quite a long time since she had left the house. It was possible that she could have fallen out of habit.

No, she specifically remembered because her hand had been shaking slightly as she'd left, hindering her ability to slip the key in the lock. It had taken her a bit longer than usual, but she had most certainly locked the door. Taking a calming breath, Lightning slipped her key back into her pocket and pulled out her survival knife that had been strapped to her thigh. Cautiously, she stepped into the house, wincing at the creak of her door. Immediately she noticed the light in the kitchen and what sounded like someone rummaging through something.

Deciding to leave the door ajar, she quietly walked towards her kitchen, listening intently to whomever had dared to break into her domain. Whoever it was, was going to be in immense pain really soon. Her heart was pounding harshly in her chest and her breathing was getting more labored by the second but she stayed focused. Focused on the fact that whoever this was, wouldn't stand a chance.

Lightning entered the kitchen slowly. Whoever the intruder was, was currently going through her walk in pantry on the other side of the room. So although she couldn't see them, they couldn't see her and most likely had no idea she was home. She prayed to the gods that no one else was anywhere else in the house and that there was only one person in that food closet. Based on her sharpened senses, she was pretty sure it was one person. Judging by the heavy stomping of boots, they were male.

Her eyes locked on the third drawer down next to her fridge. It held a pistol but she knew that whoever was there would hear her by the time she got it out. A silent sigh left her as she walked closer to her kill. When she had made it to the closet, she drew up her knife. She could hear the man on the other side of the door, inside the small pantry. He was definitely big. She looked down at the small knife in her hands. _It'll have to do. _

Deciding to bite the bullet, she gripped her weapon and counted.

One.

Two.

Three.

She pushed herself out of position and spun around the door to face the intruder. Her eyes immediately widened and her body went rigid as she came to see Snow standing there. He was facing away from her, crouched down a bit for his massive height was just a tad too much for the small pantry. The man was obviously looking for something and was blissfully unaware of the person behind him who was about to knife his sorry ass.

"Now where did she put that-" Turning around, his eyes went wide and he put his hands up. "Woah, Sis. Calm down, you're gonna hurt someone."

There was humor in his tone and that made Lightning think twice about lowering her weapon. "What the hell, Snow! I could have fucking just-Ugh." Flipping the knife closed, she sent a murderous glance towards the man before slumping into a chair at her kitchen table.

Snow chuckled a bit as he dropped his hands and came out of the pantry. "What was all that about?"

_He never gets anything, does he? _"How did you get in here" she growled, a scowl marring her features.

"I uh... made a key... sometime last week." He cringed as she slammed her hand on the table and stood.

"You did what?" Lightning's nails dug into the wood of the table as she attempted to quell her anger.

Snow bit his lip and sighed, leaning back against the counter and crossing his arms. He didn't mean to scare her like that. He wasn't a moron, he knew he'd just frightened the hell out of her. But that really hadn't been his intention. He just wanted to check in on her and maybe grab something to eat. It had been a few days since he'd graced her with his presence. How was he supposed to know she'd actually leave her house. "So, you finally got some fresh air, huh? I'm proud of you." His goofy grin appeared on his face as he stood up.

Lightning gritted her teeth in response. "Get out."

The man shook his head at her expected cold demeanor and took a step toward her. "I'm sorry, Lightning. I know that I didn't-"

"I said get out", she barked as she stepped away from the table.

"I didn't mean-"

Feeling her fury become unbearable, she slammed her fist into his cheek as he became too close for comfort. "Fine. I'll leave then." She stomped off and out the door, ignoring Snow's calls after her. She needed to get out of there. The pinkette was thoroughly pissed and aggravated. Good intentions be damned, he had no respect for her privacy and desired space. She was tired of him looming over her all the time. As if he was waiting for her to fail or... succeed?

"Proud of me" she questioned, muttering to herself. "He can take that dumb ass comment and smirk and stick it up his-"

Lightning looked up from her spot as she heard quiet sniffles. Upon realizing that she had no idea where she'd wandered off to, she glanced around her, soon seeing that she was in the middle of Crescent Hill Park. _How on Cocoon did I end up all the way- _Another sniffle brought her out of her head and her attention sharply snapped to the young man currently occupying a swing just ten feet in front of her. _It's the kid from the cemetery. _

A loud sigh was heard from the young man as his phone went off in his pocket. He ignored it until the ring tone died out. His shoulders seemed to shake a tad more after the call as it appeared to have upset him more. When the phone rang once more, she decided to speak up.

"Aren't you going to get that?"

The boy stiffened before he looked behind him, noticeably alarmed. The phone went silent as they just stared at each other. She took him in, seeing not only his reddened cheeks and tear track marks but also a nasty bruise clinging to his jaw. She also got the feeling that he looked vaguely familiar.

Lightning sighed and walked over to the swings, taking a seat beside him. He cringed a bit and shied away from her to which she inwardly sighed. "I'm not going to hurt you, kid."

"What... Wh-what are you doing here?" He began slowly swinging again, his gaze still locked on the woman beside him.

"What am _I_ doing here? What is a kid like you doing at a park all alone so late at night?" She looked over to him to see his brow furrow, his swinging slowing.

"I'm sixteen thank you very much and I can take care of myself."

Lightning smirked at his biting tone despite the shakiness present. The kid had some fight in him. "That jaw says otherwise."

His eyes lit with shock before being replaced with fury dulled by grief. "What do you care", he whispered back, sounding so much smaller then he did only a moment ago. A gasp escaped him as his phone went off again.

She watched the young man as he looked at the pocket containing the device. There was definitely fear in his eyes, but fear from whom? "You look familiar. Do I know you from somewhere?"

He nodded slowly. It was the only reason he hadn't immediately bolted from his spot when she'd announced her presence. "I... I live across the street. I knew your sister... a little. You're Lightning, right?"

She gaped at him, most definitely not expecting that response. Thinking for a few minutes, she remembered a hazy memory of Serah babysitting a kid across the street three or so years ago. She had said he was one of the sweetest kids she'd ever met. Lightning also remembered Serah frequently coming home with trays and baskets of various treats from the kid's mom. The elder sister was always too busy to have paid much more attention than that though. In fact, the kid's name was completely eluding her.

"I'm really sorry by the way." Lightning looked over to him again as he spoke, sadness threatening to break her in two. "I wanted to come to the funeral but I... Serah was a lovely person."

Furrowing her brow, she tightened her hold on the swing's chains before swaying a bit. "Yeah."

"I'm Hope, by the way." He held out his hand for her which she took. "Hope Esthiem."

She considered him for a second. This quivering boy did seem sweet. "Nice to meet ya, kid."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm not a kid." This earned a chuckle from the woman.

They sat in silence for a few minutes. It was a comfortable quiet that they were enveloped in. Lightning felt surprisingly at ease around the young man and as she looked toward him, she noticed a bit of his shaking had stopped. She thought to inquire about his bruised face but decided it wasn't any of her business.

He jumped slightly as his phone went off again. "You should probably answer it this time. It could be your mom. I'm sure she's worried."

Tears immediately fell from his eyes but he said nothing back. Instead he reluctantly took the phone from his pocket and answered.

Lightning cringed as she heard the yell of a male voice on the other end, presumably his father. She could hear every word.

_"WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU? YOU DON'T JUST RUN FROM A LITTLE DISAGREEMENT! I DIDN'T RAISE YOU TO BE SO SPINELESS! YOU GET HOME RIGHT NOW!" _Hope whimpered which did not go unnoticed._ "ARE YOU CRYING? STOP CRYING LIKE A LITTLE BABY AND GET HOME NOW! WE'LL DEAL WITH YOUR PUNISHMENT LATER! BUT THE LONGER IT TAKES YOU TO GET YOUR ASS BACK HOME, THE MORE SEVERE YOUR PUNISHMENT WILL BE, HOPE!" _

It was a long minute before Hope dropped the phone from his ear and shakily put it back in his pocket. Lightning could guess where the bruise came from now, but she wasn't going to assume anything. "Are you okay?"

He attempted to put on a weak smile. "Yeah, dad just has a bit of a... temper sometimes. I guess I'll see ya around, Lightning."

She watched him wave and make to run but she stopped him with a tentative hand on his shoulder. "Be careful, okay?"

He nodded but didn't turn toward her in fear of her seeing his tears that were fiercely falling down his cheeks. He continued to run off towards his house, disappearing into the darkness of the night.

Lightning sighed, running a hand through her hair. She shook her head as she thought about Hope, watching his swing still swaying from his quick departure. _I guess... I probably should have walked the kid home. _

The air chilled considerably as she continued to sit there thinking about what Hope would have waiting for him at home. She wondered why his mom would allow his father to be that way with her son. She thought about whether Snow would still be rooting through her kitchen at home. And she considered going easy on him if he was. They were family after all. Whether she wanted to admit that or not.

She decided to remain where she was, sitting there in the swing that she hadn't even been near since her sister was still alive.

_"C'mon. You gotta swing with me, Claire. Please?" _

Lightning's head swiftly jerked towards her sister's voice. She could see her as if Serah was there, swinging beside her. A small and tender smile formed on Lightning's lips as she watched her baby sister's form slowly fade away, soon replaced with the empty swing instead. A tear fell down her cheek as she decided that she really wanted to go back to bed now.


	2. The Emptiness that Consumes Us

**A/N: Hiya :D So, I'm rather in a hurry and just wanted to quickly get this posted for you. Not much of an author's note but what can you do. You don't read this fic to listen to me ramble on anyway. Though, I have to thank all of you for reading and those of you for reviewing. It's amazing that this story got such a great response. Enjoy and review please :)**

**Reviewers- **

**LuCiFeR's AnGeL-ScArLeT – Thank you. Thank you. I'm just so addicted to these characters that I can't help but create so many stories with them. But I'm trying to focus on my current stories and get them written. Thanks so much and I hope it doesn't disappoint. **

**Unclejoex3 – Thank you and yup, me again. And I will finish them all. I promised myself I wouldn't start any others until at least two of these are completed. But anyway, glad you like. **

**Electronic-Star – Thanks. Hope this chapter's good as well. **

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**Guest – If only it were that easy. I whole-heartedly agree though. **

**AvidReader05 – I apologize for taking so long but between life and my other stories, it was unavoidable. Very happy to know you like the story though. Thanks :)**

**Guest – Very sorry for the wait. I update when I can.**

**Everlastingtrueromance – A little late with the update but updated nonetheless. :)**

**LightPhantom742 – Thanks so much for your very kind words yet again. My confidence has increased tenfold. And there's no need to be intimidated. I'm not that special, really. Hope this chapter is up to your standards.**

* * *

_The quiet that dominated the room was haunting. Silence was all that thrived in her house that was once filled with loud, mirthful giggles. Lightning sat stiffly on the couch that felt cold and foreign to her now. As if that couch hadn't been in the family room, in that exact same position, with the same gray, lumpy, hideous pillows resting on the cushions, since her parents had been around. Everything felt wrong, dismal and dark. A heavy dreariness climbed into her already thoroughly depressed soul, leaving the poor young woman to sit achingly still, silent screams of agony echoing through her mind. She felt a warm drop of water on the pale skin of her hand, accompanied by another, and then another, and yet another. Her brow slowly furrowed until the pinkette's eyes rested on the collection of drops sliding down her porcelain fingertips. Only then did she recognize and distantly acknowledge the fact that she was crying. Only then did she let a heart shattering cry break free from her throat. _

_ She'd succumbed to her grief, finally letting all of her pain out. She sobbed for hours, not caring for anything around her, nor for anything left in the world. The one thing that she'd always had, the one person she had loved so dearly, was gone. There was nothing left to care for. _

_ It was only after almost five hours had ticked by and the pain of her face began to register, that her mind came back to the world now forever drenched in silence and darkness. Her eyelids begged to be closed for eternity, now being thoroughly pink, puffy and incredibly heavy. Her nose burned and felt raw from being ravaged by her sleeves and thousands of tissues that she had no idea when or where she had gotten in her broken state. _

_ Lightning hastily wiped another tear from her stinging cheek, denial of the act soon taking place in her mind. Teeth mindlessly ripped across chapped lips, tearing the skin off, leaving small patches of blood in its wake. She shuttered to think of her appearance. The once strong-willed, stubborn and head-strong soldier reduced to a pathetic lifeless heap. Yet she couldn't quite find it in her to care. _

_ Serah was dead and thus, so was she._

* * *

Home sounded irresistibly good right now. The comfort of her bed and enticing silk sheets were practically calling for her. Her steps lacked their usual grace and quiet stealthiness, instead thumping heavily on the cold pavement. So much had changed in her since the passing of her sister. But she never dwelled much on this. What good came of it really?

She approached her quaint little home, that now belonged not to a family, but to her and her alone. Sighing as she came to her porch, her mind wandered in the direction of the scared teen she'd met not an hour ago. A weary glance was cast towards the larger house across the street. All lights were off. Not a peep was to be heard from the home that told of its occupants enjoying a night's rest.

A brow raised in intrigue as her gaze found the front porch steps. There, sitting with his arms resting on his knees and his head buried inside them, was Hope. _Was he not just yelled at to get home? I assume that meant inside. What the hell?_

Her heart told her to see if the boy was all right and question his current location, but her mind scoffed at her. It scolded her for caring. It was just some stupid kid with family problems. None of it concerned her. Why should she care? Besides she had an empty house to get to and a cold bed to be sleeping in.

Her boot landed on the first step of her porch before she clicked her tongue in aggravation. _If someone had helped us back then..._

He wasn't crying. He would not cry. He wasn't going to give his father the satisfaction of having his tears. He'd sobbed enough for one day anyhow. His breaths shook his body slightly as it came in shallow pants, stemming from denying himself the emotional release. Words rang in his ears that he wished for the thousandth time would go away.

_"You have to change, Hope. Or this'll be your life; loneliness and despair..."_

So locked in his mind he was that he didn't hear footfalls slowly getting louder and nearer.

"Kid?"

Hope's head shot up in fright, only for relief to soon flow through his veins. It was only his neighbor. She meant him no harm... hopefully. His eyes roved over her form for a moment, seeing how her noticeable misery and disheveled state did nothing to hide her beauty. The silverette said nothing in return, instead settling on a weak nod of acknowledgment before laying his chin back down upon his folded arms.

In turn, Lightning quirked a brow. "What are you doing out here? I thought your dad-"

"The door's locked", came his hushed reply. Emerald eyes remained firmly planted on the ground, even as his companion took a seat beside him. He could feel her eyes on him, silently judging him, but he shrugged it off, wondering why she cared to even speak to him in the first place.

_Your dad can't let you in? Or your mom? You don't have a key? There isn't a spare? _Those questions roamed through her mind before realization hit. The quaking of his body was obvious, as was the new brown bruise under his left eye and the cut on his lip. _It's a punishment. He's making you sit out here. _

A wince was given and then a small nod, causing her to notice that she'd said that last bit out loud. "You should go back home...", he paused as if in deep thought before continuing, "Ms. Farron. It's late, you should get some rest."

She chuckled silently at the title and the fact that the kid was telling her what to do, before concern dominated her state. "Have they done this to you before?"

"My father does this when..." _When he doesn't want to see my rotten face anymore..._

"For how long", she inquired, a small fury burning inside her. These kinds of people were the reason she opted to hating the rest of the human population.

A soft sigh fell from paling lips. _All night. _"It's fine. Really, you should go." _Not that I mind the company, I really don't, but if he sees you..._

A cool breeze blew over the two, causing Lightning to tug her sweatshirt closer to her body. Noticing the boy shiver and bury his face into his arms, she realized that he no longer had his jacket, only a thin long sleeve shirt, baggy jeans and socked feet. _His bastard of a father didn't even lock him out with shoes._ "Well you're coming with me, kid." Rising up from her position, she turned to face him, seeing a look of worry on his now visible visage. "I'm not gonna leave you out here to freeze."

Hope shook his head. _I can't leave. I'm not allowed... _"Thanks for the offer, but I'm fine. Besides, do you always just invite complete strangers into your house at odd hours of the night? I could be a psycho murderer", he exclaimed with a small smirk.

The pinkette rolled her eyes and put a hand on her hip. "Please, I doubt you could harm a fly." _And you're a stick. Seriously, when was the last time you ate? _"C'mon, I suppose I could use the company. And... Serah spoke very highly of you. My sister was rarely wrong when it came to people. I doubt you've changed much in a few years." Lightning then turned and began walking back to her humble abode.

_You'd be surprised, _Hope thought as he watched her walk away and than glanced at his house apprehensively.

She thought he was really going to just sit there all night and ignore her invitation that stunned even her. _Since when in the hell do I invite people to my house? Especially total strangers? Snow has to practically wrestle with me to get in the door. _But something about the kid and his situation struck a chord deep within her and she found herself _almost _smiling when he followed her inside.

Shutting the door behind him, she took note of Hope's rigid form standing just inside, completely unsure of what to do with himself. An awkward silence fell over the two as they stood there, Hope gazing around her place as Lightning mused over the fact that her house was quiet. _The door was locked and I don't hear any giant feet stomping around. Snow must have left. _

A chuckle cut through the thick quiet that hung over them. "I was so busy thinking about how weird and stupid it was to offer your home to strangers in the middle of the night, that I didn't even think about how idiotic and suicidal it would be to accept such an offer from a stranger. I mean... _you _could be the psycho murderer in this situation." This was accompanied by wide eyes displaying mock fear as he stepped away.

Lightning's lips quirked upwards slightly before she began walking toward the kitchen. "Yes, I eat children. Since you were so willing to come in here, why don't you just jump right into the oven for me?"

"I'm not a child", Hope pouted.

The elder could only laugh quietly to herself. She gasped as she caught herself in the action. When was the last time she had laughed? "Well then I guess you're safe. You want something to eat", she asked as he walked into the room and situated himself at the table.

_Why is she being so nice? _"No, really I don't wanna be any trouble."

Confusion descended upon her brow. _Did I not just offer? Why would I offer if it would be troubling. _"It's not a problem. I was going to have a sandwich. It's not that much of a task. I'm sure it wouldn't be too straining to make two", she replied sarcastically. Really, the young woman just wanted to sleep. But it didn't take a genius to see that the kid needed food. If her eating too made him more comfortable... _Maker, why do I care? _

"I don't want to be a burden."

The response had been almost inaudible but her sharp hearing had caught it. She glanced at the boy who was timidly fiddling with a bandage on the palm of his right hand. _Does he really make you feel that small? _"You're not, kid." And in all honesty, he wasn't. He was so quiet and reserved, the complete opposite of most his age. She was thankful for that really. The last thing she needed was a hormonal teen rampaging around her home. Yet at the same time, it saddened her. Part of her knew that this fearful and timid nature was due to his situation at home.

They ate in silence after that, both unsure of how to communicate further with one another. It had been so long since Lightning had talked to someone sincerely and good naturedly. And she hadn't been that social of a person to begin with.

Hope, on the other hand, was dying to talk, he just didn't know what to say and didn't want to anger his new friend. The last thing he needed was to have another person in his life hate him. So, he just chomped quietly on his sandwich. It was ham, not his favorite in the least, but he wasn't going to complain. He was content, happy that she had offered him food in the first place. In addition, he was starving. He hadn't realized it had been so long since he had eaten. _But I have been out all day..._

The elder watched Hope from the corner of her eye as he soundlessly yet hurriedly ate - as if it was the last sandwich on Cocoon and would vanish the moment his mouth left it. He finished his meal while Lightning had only consumed a quarter of her own.

He smiled bashfully as he stood up from his seat. "Thank you... Ms. Farron, but I should probably be going now." _Before my father finds me gone. _Before the boy could take a step, Lightning stepped in front of him.

The name was humorous the first time but now it was just irritating and made her feel much older than twenty-one. She frowned as she found that she couldn't meet his eyes. His gaze was stuck to the floor yet again. They'd rarely made eye contact since they'd met due to this. She slid a finger under his chin and tilted his head up, almost forcing him to look at her. "The name's Lightning, kid. None of that 'Ms. Farron' crap. And you should look at people when talking with them. It's not only rude not to but it can give others the idea that they have power over you if you're always looking at their shoes. You don't want that right?"

The young man was very confused by the woman in front of him and her odd concern for him, but he nodded anyway. When he noticed that this action was hindered by his chin still in her grip, he gave her a verbal reply. "Y-Y-Yes." _Yes, Hope. Because stuttering doesn't give others power over you either._

"Are you sure?" Her brow raised with her question as she carefully kept eye contact. He was trying hard not to shake in her grasp, she could tell. She could only wonder if he was afraid of all physical contact or if she was being a bit too harsh. She was known to be very cold. But that never mattered much to her before.

Hope huffed before wriggling his chin out of her grasp. "Of course I am." His eyes widened when he realized that he'd barked at her and was about to apologize when he saw a satisfied smirk on her face.

"Okay." She went into the living room and into a small closet by the door, leaving a baffled Hope to follow. "Now I want an honest answer, kid", Lightning stated as she rummaged through some blankets. "How long do you usually have to sit out there?"

"All night", he whispered.

"What was that?"

He cleared his throat and shuffled his feet a bit. "All night."

"I thought so."

Was it just his imagination or did she sound a bit angry? When he saw her set a blanket and pillow from the closet on the couch, presumably for him, he shook his head vigorously. "I gotta-"

"If you wanna sleep on those steps in the cold air, be my guest. But I'm just saying", she put a hand on his shoulder and gestured to the couch, "you don't have to."

With that, she went upstairs. Hope sighed and thought hard about his decision. He really didn't want to anger his father. If he woke up and didn't find his son where he'd told him to stay... Hope shivered. But his porch wasn't comfortable, at all. He knew that from experience. _As long as I'm back before he gets up, I should be fine. _Setting his alarm for six-thirty a.m. and climbing under the covers, Hope relaxed. This was nice. Lightning was a nice person after all, just like her sister had said.

_"Oh, that's just my sister. She can be so mean sometimes, but she's got a good heart. Trust me, when she's not being the ice queen, she's really sweet." _

Lightning stared at her survival knife as she undid the strap from her thigh. It was amusing to think that she'd used the knife Serah gave her to almost kill her sister's fiance. Amusing in a slightly morbid sense anyway.

Keeping a tight grip on the weapon, Lightning threw herself onto the bed, bouncing slightly after landing. She didn't have the energy to change into night clothes, so instead she just lied there, waiting for sleep to claim her. Thoughts entered her mind briefly of how she could possibly be slain in her slumber by the shy neighbor boy she'd so freely let crash in her house. She chuckled. "What a way to go that would be."

Both lied awake for a few more minutes, parallel thoughts running through their minds.

_Why are you doing all of this for me?_

_ Why do I care so much?_

_ "You're not heartless, Claire. One day, you're going to realize that and show others that too..."_

* * *

Lightning awoke to the sound of her front door shutting. Rays of the rising sun shone through the dusty blinds on her window, shining into her eyes. The blinding light elicited a groan from her as she attempted to block it from sight with the crook of her elbow. She tried to grasp at that last bit of sleep before it was too late. Letting out a huff as she realized that she was too awake to fall back into her blissful slumber, Lightning let her arm carelessly fall back to her side. A glance to her alarm clock on her side table was given to see that it was seven-twenty in the morning. _Odd. I usually sleep later._

The back of her hand rubbed against her eyes in order to fully awaken. She paused momentarily as she felt a heavy build up of crust around her eyelids. "Must have cried in my sleep again", she mumbled to herself. It was usual. The dreams of better times with her sister and the nightmares of Serah's death normally elicited the response from her during the night. She could vaguely remember her dream last night. It was when her parents were still alive. When they were a family and were whole and happy. Before her father's tragic demise. Before her mother's insanity consumed her. Before the elder Farron had to suddenly grow up and take on the tasks she was completely unprepared for. Before the only last bit of light in her life was taken from her.

With a sigh, the girl picked herself up and shuffled out of the room to check on her new little friend. It was a wonder why she was helping the kid out. She'd never been one for charity before. Plus, she really didn't know the kid at all - besides their brief meeting and Serah's stories from years prior. For all she knew, the kid could be a selfish, bratty rich kid that deserves a good smack every once in a while to set him straight.

Then again, that didn't seem right at all. Even though she barely knew him and hadn't paid much attention to his presence before, she could sense something good in him. Something pure. He seemed like a genuinely sweet boy. A bit broken by certain circumstances, but very polite and sickeningly kind nonetheless. And even under that terrified and shy demeanor, there's a kid with a backbone. Though buried deep inside. _He needs to stand up for himself more, be more assertive. Of course, being your father's punching bag would really shatter your sense of security and trust in people. Not to mention cause your self esteem to crumble, if your own family treats you like dirt. _

A light yawn could be heard from her as she walked into the kitchen, her eyes groggily watching the floor pass beneath her feet. A smell assaulted her senses and she momentarily became alarmed. _He's cooking?! Dear Etro, don't burn down my house. _"Hey, kid, wha-"

"Heya, Lightning", called Snow from his seat at the table, his usual jovial self grinning from ear-to-ear. "Kid, huh? I haven't been called that in a while. You do know I'm actually older than you, right? Not by much but still. And don't you usually call me something like buffoon or any of your other affectionate names for me? Kid is kinda just... weak." Snow punctuated his mile long rant with a wink before stuffing another forkful of pancake into his mouth.

The other occupant of the room just stood there, still surprised and now very aggravated to see that who she was expecting was very much not present and in his place was none other than her lughead of a brother-in-law. "What the hell are you doing here? And where is Hope?"

The man gave her a confused look while considering her questions. "Who's Hope?" He looked around the room as if the person in question would suddenly appear. "No one else was here when I came in. I take it you didn't make this awesome breakfast then? I thought that was a little weird. You don't like to cook."

Lightning scoffed. "It's not that I don't like to, I don't need to."

"Whatever. I just wanted to come by and make sure there were no hard feelings about last night, at the risk of another blow to my jaw and pride."

Shaking her head, the pinkette smirked. "I'm far too tired to give you the treatment you deserve."

"So... a back rub when you're more awake then?" Snow chortled when he received her famous death glare back.

"Maybe I have just enough energy for a good kick to the gut", she mused. "Don't tempt me further, Snow." Catching sight of a note stuck to the fridge with one of Serah's old rainbow magnets, Lightning's eyes scanned over the neatly written words.

_Morning Lightning,_

_ Thank you very much for letting me stay over last night. Unfortunately, I had to be home rather early this morning and I didn't want to bother you. I hope you don't mind that I made pancakes. They're blueberry, like you like, correct? I believe Serah told me that once. I usually have a pretty good memory with things. If I'm wrong then, I deeply apologize. Coffee's made as well. Have a good morning and thanks again! _

_ -Hope Estheim (not 'kid')_

Snow tilted his head at his sister-in-law who seemed to suddenly be in a brighter mood as she slipped the paper off the fridge and placed it on the counter. The behavior baffled him for a minute, but knowing that if he wanted to stay conscious, he should just leave it be. "So... Hope would be...?"

A small smile flitted across her features for the most minute of moments. "Just a kid."

* * *

Hope grew as pale as a ghost when he saw that his father's car was no longer in the driveway. He'd missed his dad before he went to work and would surely pay the price when the man returned home later in the day. _How could you be so stupid? You should have anticipated this. But how was I supposed to know he'd leave early? He's going to skin me alive for sure._

A deep sorrow and fear overcame the silverette as he entered his house. He took comfort in the fact that he at least had some time to prepare for his father's harsh blows that were to come and could, for now, have some peace. Although, the foreknowledge of his coming punishment caused his stomach to twist in knots.

Seeing as he'd probably be in too much pain later, Hope decided that he should take a hot shower to get clean and soothe his quickly fraying nerves. After quickly gathering his clothes, the boy scampered off into the bathroom across the hall, relishing in the serenity of the silent air, even though it was laced with the stench of vodka.

While humming a soft tune that his mother used to sing to him so frequently, Hope tugged off his clothes, silently wishing that when he turned to the mirror, he wouldn't be met with the usual sight.

A shell. That was all he was. That was all he saw when he looked at his poor, battered and abused reflection. He knew every time he undressed all he would see would be the scars, bruises, cuts, scrapes, everything that had become the norm within the past horrid months. It had been worse since summer started. His father no longer cared to keep his beatings confined to the less visible places on his body. He wouldn't be questioned since there were no teachers to see him and he had no friends. So his entire body was a free-for-all for the elder Estheim's rage and grief.

"Maybe if you loved me more? Maybe if you didn't drown yourself in those toxic drinks every night? Maybe if mom were here to stop you? Maybe if it hadn't been my fault?"

_ Maybe then I wouldn't have to fear you, dad..._


End file.
